2 Kings 1 Introduction

Structure and Formatting

The author or authors of this long historical narrative began the account of the reign of King Azariah of Israel at the end of the previous book, in 1 Kings 22:51–53. That account continues and concludes in this chapter.

Religious and Cultural Concepts in This Chapter

How did Ahaziah fall through a window?

The author says in 1:12 that “Ahaziah fell through the lattice in his upper chamber.” How might this have happened? Ancient Middle Eastern palaces often had upper rooms whose windows had decorative lattices for ventilation and privacy. These lattices were made of interwoven strips of thin wood or metal, and so they were fragile. They could break if someone leaned against them. It appears that Ahaziah accidentally leaned against the lattice of a window, perhaps not realizing that it was not solid, and he fell at least one floor to a courtyard or roof below, badly injuring himself.